A ski brake of the above-mentioned type is described for example in Austrian Pat. No. 303 944 or in the associated U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,126 (FIGS. 7 to 9). The braking legs are pivotally arranged in this conventional construction on the shafts of a yoke, which shafts serve as a support for the braking legs and extend parallel with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ski, however, the shafts of the braking bar remain both in the retracted position and also in the braking position of the conventional ski brake above the upper surface of the ski and only the arms of the braking legs which serve as braking blades are moved, during a pivoting of the ski brake from the retracted position into the braking position, laterally outside of the two ski edges. In order to guide the arms of the braking legs during a pivoting of the brake from the retracted position into the braking position beyond the ski edges, ski-fixed guide blocks are associated with each braking leg and cooperate with sloped regions on each arm of the braking legs. Furthermore, the braking arms are hinged through two extensions to the associated shaft, wherein in the retracted position of the ski brake a pair of the extensions rests on a stop arranged on the base plate, in order to prevent a rattling of the device during skiing. It can be seen that this brake consists of many structural parts, thus the manufacture is associated with high manufacture and material expenses and the product itself is susceptible to trouble. A further disadvantage is that during a pivoting of the ski brake from the retracted position into the braking position or vice versa, not only the braking legs and the yoke, but the entire housing must be pivoted, which operation results automatically in the use of a stronger and thus also more expensive spring. Finally, the housing is pivoted in the braking position of the ski brake to the base plate, wherein the yoke is positioned practically perpendicular with respect to the upper surface of the ski. It can easily be seen that a stepping into a ski binding, which is equipped with such a brake, is cumbersome.
The invention has now the purpose of providing a ski brake of the above-mentioned type such that together with a pivotally supported plate only the position of the braking blades is changed, when the ski brake is swung from the braking position into the retracted position or vice versa.
The set purpose is inventively attained by each braking leg being biassed by a torsion spring which urges said braking leg into the retracted position, and by a rope, band, a cord or the like being secured to the periphery of each braking leg and guided by each braking leg in a direction toward the upper surface of the ski and is held down in a, possibly common, ski-fixed mounting at least against a lifting off in a vertical direction (away from the upper surface of the ski), wherein its one subrange can be wound up on the associated braking leg.
Due to the fact that each braking leg is held biassed by a torsion spring in direction of the retracted position, the rope, the band, the cord or the like is rolled up at the periphery of each braking leg to a length which corresponds with the spacing between the upper surface of the ski or a mounting member and the area of the pedal of the ski brake, through which the rope, the band, the cord or the like is guided in direction toward the mounting member. The force of the torsion spring is thereby dimensioned such that it assumes only a secure swinging of the braking legs from the braking position into the retracted position, wherein not only the friction which occurs during the swinging operation, but also the force which is needed for winding up the rope, the band, the cord or the like is produced. The spring force which is needed to swing the ski brake from the retracted position into the braking position is, however, dimensioned so strongly, that it not only effects a secure erecting of the ski brake, but simultaneously overcomes the sum of the force of the two torsion springs. In this manner, it is assured that while the ski brake is swung from the retracted position into the braking position, the individual braking legs are loaded by the operating members (rope, band, cord or the like) associated therewith--against the force of the individual torsion springs--are swung out to an earlier determined angular extent, preferably approximately at 90.degree., so that the surfaces of the braking blades, which are provided on the free ends of the individual braking legs, are active in direction of the braking. In other words: in the retracted position, the individual braking blades extend with their active surfaces substantially perpendicularly with respect to the upper surface of the ski; in the braking position they extend substantially at a right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the ski. The position which in the retracted position is identified as "substantially perpendicularly" includes here and hereinafter each angle at which the individual blades lie inside the lateral edges of the ski associated therewith; they can--if this is necessary and is not prevented neither by the ski binding parts nor by the ski boot--also rest on the upper surface of the ski. This measure is also important for the invention.